The Saab 900 Turbo was the Tesla of its day | Revelations with Jason Cammisa | Ep. 15
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- Опубліковано 25 гру 2024
- The Saab 99 Turbo and 900 Turbo were Swedish Crystal Balls: they more accurately foretold the future of automotive powertrains better than perhaps any other car until Tesla's EVs.
The similarities are many: Saab wasn't a car company; it was an airplane manufacturer, so it did things differently than other automakers. Saab was obsessed with safety. And Saab was concerned about real-world speed and efficiency rather than looking just at numbers.
And as a result, Saabs were bought by non-mainstream buyers. Just like today's EVs.
In this episode, Jason Cammisa explains why the 99 and 900, which were effectively the same car, were revelations. They included a handful of world-firsts, including low-boost-pressure, high compression-ratio four-cylinders that more closely resemble today's turbos than anything else of the era.
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SAAB was engineered by engineers, not financial consultants, that's why they were so ahead of their time.
Agreed
Then the financial guys took over, they brought their friends too and destroyed the company
Exactly. But in the end the financial consultants at GM won.
@@kpsig That would be GM who destroyed the company. GM even managed to destroy "Old GM" and "New GM" is not is not responsible for.
My Dad owned 2 Saabs when I was Young , 96 & and 96 wagon.
I think cars Build by Volvo and Saab were over engineered compared to other brands, because of the harsh roads, and Winter climate for these Countries.
Greetings !
Owned 5 Saabs, from a 99, then a few 900’s, then a couple 9-3’s. My first, an 84 900 S went over 350k miles. Once on a ski trip to Vermont, was going up a steep incline in over a foot of snow when I came upon several cars stuck, spun out in different directions. I was riding on true snow tires, Vredesteins at all corners. At a dead stop, my first inclination was to back down the hill and get a running start to attempt to get past the other cars. Instead, I put it in gear, feathered the clutch, and that beast churned through the snow like a tank. I was amazed then, and am still amazed whenever I recall that feeling it gave me. Another time, I went to pick up a clothes dryer I purchased retail and to save money on delivery charges, went to the warehouse to retrieve it. When the guy on the loading dock looked out, he asked where my truck was. I pointed to my 900 and said that’s my car. He said, “it’s not going to fit in there”. I opened the hatch, folded down the seats, slid the dryer in and closed the hatch, he was dumbfounded.
I had a '79 900 Turbo. I retrieved a twin size bed and box springs. Had to remove the spare tire & cover, and placed them sideways, on the floor of the passengers side front seat. Also had to set the front seats as far forward as they'd go. Then I closed the hatch, and drove away (nearly had my chin resting on the steering wheel). Loved and hated that car. Loved to drive it, hated the issues.
Did everyone clap too?
Nice story love it 😁
Deceptively cavernous, and a feature that lived in in the 9-5 Wagon.
My 99’ 93, even with bald tires was pretty good in snow. So good, that Hera later I daily a mustang and in the winter, think I should try to drive places. Lol. Great cars, poor execution and mediocre reliability. Only ever got stranded but 4 times
To other features: the hood slid and tilted forward because that way all of the snow on the hood did not slide back onto your windshield when you opened it.
The dash also has a "Night Panel" function that blacks out all the dash lights except the speedometer. Because jet fighters....
night panel started a lot later with 93 & 95. if this happened in a 900 then it is a fuse issue :)
@@johnsvideotimelapses the 900 will do this, as the gauge cluster is wired to a separate dimmer than the rest of the dashboard lights, it's just not called that specifically. You can dim the dashboard lights, and not the gauge cluster, and vice-versa
I loved night mode. It would even turn the fuel gauge light back on if you started getting low on gas. I wish more manufacturers would copy that feature.
@@audvidgeek Thanks! I thought I remembered that being a feature when my ex was looking at a Saab in the mid 1980s.
@Jason Cammisa My sister in law's 900 Turbo would go through batteries at the rate of one every eight to ten months. We never figured out why. Summers in El Paso didn't help, though. Neither did the exhaust running right next to the battery.
Adam Sandler is so versatile. I just love him in this new auto series.
Adam Sandler has let himself go!
I saw the resemblance too! Maybe long lost brothers?? lol
Adam Sandler is funny.
Doesn’t this stale, lousy joke get tiring after all these years?
@@Gravy_Master speaking of stale, lousy, tired jokes...
My friend, Bill Tobe (bless his soul) bought one of these. We were both software programmers/developers. He convinced me that the 900 was technically advanced for its time. Bill always had the latest technical innovations in his home. He would have been pleased with the technology available today since he's been gone 24 years.
I'm sorry for your loss. he sounds like a cool guy
A part of Mr.Tobe is indeed pleased with all techno wonders we have today. The part that keeps living in your memory.
If someone remembered my name and my preferences a quarter century after my death, it would be the best mark of the life I've lived!
@@petergorelov418 wisely put!
If you were ever in Vermont in the late 70s or early 80s you might have noticed every 4th car on the road was a Saab. They sold a ton of them in cold weather states. They were THE quirky car for those who weren’t necessarily car enthusiasts but wanted something to show off their willingness to be different and practical at the same time. Forward thinkers. GM never understood Saab. Now Subaru owns that market. And, like Subaru Saab was big into rallying. I wish Jason would’ve mentioned Erik Carlsson’s antics.
Subaru was also in the aircraft industry, funny enough.
Look in the market place ads or CL.......VT/NH still has a ton of them to offer!
@Jason Cammisa - Those erroneous tests were a long time ago. Thankfully, in today’s digital age the experts are never wrong. That’s what my millennial friends tell me anyway. I wanted you to do a bit on Carlsson because, yeah, there’s a lot of material there, but you do such a good job aping der Cherman akzent I looked fwd to you culturally appropriating the Sveedish. In the name of comedic diversity, of course.
I was there in the late 70's and you are correct. They did not seem to rust out like other cars. I a 99 and liked it, but it did not feel as solid as a Volvo 14X. But it was faster.
with the difference that saab has an iconic design, subaru has an anonymous design like 99.9% of japan cars.
Saab
My first car was an ‘88 900 Turbo Red coupe (3 door) and I ran it for 200k miles. It was my first car and I adored it. Like he demonstrated, I used to sleep in the back on road trips moving my gear to the front and throwing a sleeping bag in back with seats down (it folded flat). It went cross country four times with college roommates and a girlfriend who became my wife. I have so many memories of great times in that car. It handled amazingly well and I learned to enjoy driving with it. It was also rock solid stable at speed (once did 130 mph in it). I got many speeding tickets in it…
One quirky thing he should have mentioned is that the heater did not work on the middle two vents. This was by design. You could blast the heat on cold winter days, and still get fresh cold air to breathe with from the middle vents. It was also a safety feature as it eliminated the possibility of CO poisoning. It was a typically unique but ingenious design idea which I have missed on every car I’ve owned since. I stayed loyal even after GM acquired them and bought a 2001 9-3 turbo. I had two Saab’s in the driveway for a while. Although this was not an original Saab platform, it retained some of the quirks and great driving character. Definitely miss the company, and was sad to see it die. Oh…and I’m a college professor today…guess the car predicted my future. I drive a manual 2018 Golf R today.
I have a 9-3 SE (5 speed/5 door hatch)
It’s amazing and definitely the best and safest first car
Good review.....enjoyed it
Test drove a used Saab almost four decades ago, and found it rock solid at highway speed, much nicer than a used BMW 3 series I also tested. I was just a teenager that knew nothing about cars, but remember vividly thinking "Wow, that Saab is nice!"
the BMW E46 also has that "feature" with the cold air from the middle vents. you can actually turn a dial to adjust the ratio between "fresh" and heated air
Nice, as a 17 yr old I had a 88 9000 turbo. It was so neat, so many quirks and features. I got stopped in that a few times. Also had it to 135mph and it was fine with 3 people in it. I've always wanted to drive a 900 turbo as a comparison.
2:51 one of the more satisfying door closings of any modern car. It sounds sooo solid
not rlly modern
cold War Swedish engineers
Imagine if SAAB was alive now and still engineering-driven...
Some of their last work was focused on bio-fuel.
@@johndododoe1411 I really do not like saabs, but credit where credit is due, they had some impressive technology lying around. that is one reasonwhy koenigsegg wanted to buy Saab. so not only bio fuel, they also worked on ways to improve engine efficiency through what koenigsegg call "free valve" which is a valve system with no cam belt/chan, no cams and no lifters and it makes incredible amounts of power without a fuel use penalty due to being infinitely adjustable for power when you need that and efficiency when that is called for.
Well, they still exist and build pretty dawn good fighter jets, so...^^
@@isaks3243 Their bio fuel work was about cars of the future that would be carbon neutral through not involving fossils of ancient carbon capture.
@@johndododoe1411 they had a lot of good work when it comes to reducing their carbon footprint, biofuel is one of those areas. I like the engineering, I just find the cars to be the opposite of what I think is a good looking car. But that is entirely subjective and I fully respect people who love their quirky styling
I own a Saab 900 and it's really good to drive everywhere, whether your cruising in the city or taking it out on the small backroads. It is a fun cheap car that makes you and people who see it on the road smile. People starts to talk over Saab, about how they have had one before. My first car and I don't think I could have bought something better.
007 had one in the 80s. Nuff said.
grats!!
Makes people smile? Who, mongoloids? When I see one of these ugly cars all it does to me is make me ask if this or a Prius is more offensive looking.
Thanks for this episode! I grew up "in" Saab. My father was one of the directors at Saab, Aerospace division. I first met with Per Gillbrand (Mr Turbo) roughly in 1975 as a teenager. I accompanied my father to the Saab engine lab. Over the years me and Per Gillbrand had fantastic conversations. At older age, he always came once a year to my work at Lund Institute of Technology (LTH) to hold a lecture and demonstrate his model engines. This would include running samples of, but not limited to, the Bugatti Veyron engine (ordered by Bugatti themself) and the Rolls Royce Merlin. We always had to shut off the fire alarm system when he came.
Of course my father had one of the 100 pre-series Saab Turbo cars, that luckily coincided with my drivers license 😁.
I sorely miss Per Gillbrand.
PS Per Gillbrand had a genuine, working, Rolls Royce Merlin in his garage.
10:10 correction. 145 hp, at least in Europe.
My dad had a 9-3. It was a lovely car. I'm on the market for a 900 turbo currently, waiting for the right one... One of the cooles car small money can afford to buy (and actually operate) imo.
@@Dispo030 Hi! I think I'm in the market to for a Saab 900 turbo to. Getting nostalgic I guess.
Häftigt! That's so cool!
@@DJTKarlsson Tack så mycket! Jag minns Per med stor glädje och värme. Hans historia om när han startade sin Merlin första gången tåler att berättas igen. Han och frun hade gäster i huset och Per visade runt. I garaget sa gästerna (männen) det självklara, startar den. Per var klar med renoveringen, men hade ännu inte startat den. Efter kanske en fördrink sa Per, vi provar. Merlin motorn hade inte ens dom korta Spitfire avgasrören på. Redan efter ca ett varv sparkade till liv (han hette ju Per Gillbrand). Poängen kommer från hans frus beskrivning i köket intill där damerna var, glasen i vitrinskåpen höll på trilla ut!!
Ha det bra!
@@rudolfabelin383 haha mäktigt! Måste ha skruvats med mycket roligt där under dagarna
Not sure why this appeared in my feed but I really enjoyed watching it! I'm not a car person but in the 80's, my hubby at the time was into Saabs and bought one and found one for me, too. I think it was a 900. (I'm getting old, hard to remember back that far!) Then I believe I got a 9-3, later followed by a used 2002 9-5 Turbo I bought in 2009 which I still have to this day! It's sitting in a garage right now since I'm in another state driving a car gifted to me, but I have refused to give it up, despite friends telling me to get rid of it - it's old - get something new, they say.....
Nah, I use it when I go back "home" plus I became attached to it and feel like it's a part of the family! I've literally teared up at the thought of getting rid of it. Silly I guess, but I always loved the sleek look of it, the roominess of the cabin, the feel of the (heated) seats, the zippy turbo going up the Rocky mountains, the way it took the curves and the feeling of safety I felt driving it. It was a beautiful beast! The only big issue I've had is a random clunk when shifting into drive that started a few years ago. It got fixed a couple of times but always came back after a few months for some perplexing reason. It was concerning but never seemed to affect driving it. Plus, at 16 mpg /city, a trip to the gas station was not a lot of fun, especially now. Anyways, thanks for the memories!
Interesting opening line Susan. I was chatting on my mobile to an old mate about SAAB, in great detail as I have had 'quite a few'. Then this pops up in my feed tonight. Coincidence? Nah - it happened last week on another subject (a particular type of steam engine) Of course, the phone is not 'listening' to you, is it...?
@Stephen Jameson wow. Just, wow.
Hold onto it! It means a lot to you and it’s already a part of history we’ll likely never see again. Very sad.
Fun Fact: The city of Aspen Colorado had Saab police cars for decades. The city is now trying to convert the fleet to Teslas.
What a shhhame
Vail did too
So then Aspen will have coal powered cars in the streets.
@Def Bet All I care about is that Telas are fucking awesome. The new plaid model is obliterating cars at the racetrack now. 3 engines. 2.0 second 0-60. 9.1 quarter mile. 6.0 1/8th mile.
Wow! They found a car even less efficient than a Scab.
The best series on UA-cam hands down
Even better than ICONS?
1000% this
Finally it’s starting to get the views like it
I love the mainstream attention Saabs are getting now. They are brilliant cars that have been underrated for too long
I used to have an old 900 Turbo.
When I got it it was doing an appalling 17 miles to the gallon, so I took it to the local garage for a tune up.
When it came back it was running much better - and did 14 miles to the gallon.
17 MPG? Appalling?? I’m lucky to get 12 🥲
I had a 72 Cutlass with a 350 rocket that got about 14mpg, then I decided I'd rebuild the carburetor. This is probably in 1992 I'd guess when I was in high school. Anywho I got a rebuild kit, had no idea what I was doing, and completely screwed it up, needing to place a piece of cardboard in the intake to hold it wide open since that's the only way I could keep the car running. Anywho, I dropped from 14mpg down to about 9mpg - if I drove conservatively. If I was out racing, it was closer to 7mpg. BUT my god was there always power on demand with no delay.
@@rodmunch69 I've done many things on cars. Stripped engines, repaired transmissions, even changed a piston on a bike on the way to work. But my one and only attempt to refurb a carb was a total disaster. I decided I'd reached the limit of my technical ability.
I had a friend who had an '86 Corvette. On the dash it had a little LCD display that showed instantaneous MPG. His party piece was to point at the display, say "watch this" and floor it. From cruising almost at idle it would go 21...18...14..11..7..3...2....1.....1.....1....
Another SAAB, I mean sob story. I know a few people who owned them and they got 45 mpg but that was behind a tow truck.
@@cravenmorehead8447 😂
My first car was an ‘87 Saab 900S, and I have been chasing the functionality, realizability, and fun of it ever since.
I had one too, same year; what do you mean by realizability?
@@patrickwilliam3322 I’ve only just noticed that typo. I definitely meant “reliability” (which I know is sometimes contentious, but I never had any major issues with the car. Just a handful of fiddly things).
@lne001 How do you know the Tesla is better after 2 years?
OMG, what a spoiled d-bag kid you must have been.
The 1984 900 Turbo that I purchased second hand in 1985 was an amazing, quirky and torquey car. The waste gate whine sounded like the cops were chasing you when you lifted off the gas, it was amazing to drive up and down the Rocky Mountain passes, it held all of my stuff to take to and fro from Chicago to Colorado State University, and it was previously owned by a professor. What it didn't do was break down on the side of the road. It was like driving a jet, and other than excessive body roll it was by far the best all around car I have ever owned. By the time it was well over 250K miles, it was starting to rust, but it was still on the original turbo, original drive train, and still made me smile when the torque steer would come on under load. My only complaint was the crunch I would get from the gear box when trying to shift right before the rev limiter would cut power, and thats probably my error and not the cars fault. I pine over mine every now and then, and seeing this video brought it all back. I rarely see any '84s for sale in any condition, which leads me to believe that everyone who had a 1984 900 turbo hatch drove it into the ground like I did. Because thats what the car wanted you to do. Not only that, this one had every option you could imagine. Rear window louvers, off road suspension (factory sways and struts) triple trumpet horns, heated seats, molded plastic and carpeted floor mats, foglight covers that you would flip up manually, (and if you forgot, would melt from the heat of the fogs), European full cover light housings without the wipers, a take with you beeper that would tell you if the alarm was going off when way from the car. One part that would consistently break were the color matched plastic hinge covers for the rear deck. After a while you just left them off. It was my first "fat radius" steering wheel car, and I remember how cool it was to have to put the car in reverse to pull the key out. Even the climate control was amazing, especially the heater and defrost, as you can imagine. Great video, thanks for the memories.
I've had a cupple of early nineties 900 turbo's back in the early 2000s solid and reliable and cheap to fix especially with a dad who's a SAAB TRAGIC and knows every screw bolt nut and quirk they have 🙄 one of my dad's best friend's Han's did his motor apprenticeship at the SAAB factory in the late sixties and here in Aotearoa new zealand he's known as Doctor SAAB
Great story thanks…
I have three 1992-93 5door c900 that I’ll never part with in original condition, two in manual, cruise control, sunroof, turbo…
A friend of mine got broadsided by a drunk driver while driving in his SAAB - which after immediately kissing off both the front and rear quarter panels launched his car airborne into a store window front past the intersection (that the drunk ran a red light at). The friend was wearing his seat belt, and was shaken up but otherwise fine (the model didn't have airbags either). Source : me - I saw it happen because I was behind him at that traffic light (which was in retrospect - thanks to no injuries involved - rather comical 'where did he go' 'oh, there he is he's flying through the air'). The car had lost it's hood/bonnet, all tires had blown out on landing, and the engine had shifted 3 feet to the right. Even the front windshield had popped out causing the unsecured contents of the car to fuse to the engine in a strange sort of 'modern art'.
He wanted a cig afterwards to calm his nerves, but considering I could see some ruptured lines (possibly including gas - certainly oil) I suggested he either waited, or moved at least 20 feet from the wreck first. Preferably downwind. The only evidence that he'd been in a crash was a minor scratch from an object that flew by his head when it ejected from the car. In spite of his claims of being 'fine', I suggested he get his neck and back checked at the hospital immediately.
Strangely enough, the reason he was driving the SAAB was because he'd totaled at least 2 others - from collisions with random no-fault incidents (like one involving a deer). After those previous close-calls and car performances, he never drove anything else. Even stranger - the (luckily closed) shop he crashed into was at the time a xerox copy-shop that within a year transitioned to an art gallery called 'CRASH'.
I collided with a moose at highway speeds in my then brand new 1995 900 Turbo. Walked away with only a tiny cut on my hand from broken glass. Car was repaired (took 5 months) and continued to serve me well for a number of years.
The day after the accident when I inspected my car in the shop, it stood next to a similarly sized car of a different brand that had also crashed into a moose at a slightly lower speed (we have plenty of moose in Sweden...).
That car was almost flat (since a moose has the bulk of its 800-1000 pound weight perfectly positioned at eye height when you sit in the car), because unlike the SAAB it did not have the reinforced A pillars required to withstand that kind of force. I looked in. Lots of dried blood. The two occupants were hospitalized in critical condition. It is very likely that I owe my life to the foresight and diligence of SAAB's engineers.
Upwind, you definitely want to be upwind of those gas fumes...
@@fasturd Not while holding a lighter and cigarrette and your ashes fly off or worse your matches flies downwind.
Always knew this was a safe choice. It is inherently compact yet rigid all around that round body much like an eggshell but made of steel. As with any small bodied car it has weaknesses in a side impact. The price you pay for good handling. Also avoid riding in the backseat.
SAAB owners = "That's Deuce!! Come Miffy, lets go out and eat some Fash." {0.o} 🤣
I had a 900 Turbo. It was built like a tank and was very fast for the time. Plus had a massive boot. I had it for 7 years. It was a joy
I just love how that glove box refuses to close while he is drving the car. And it opens while he is accelerating so everything falls out and spreads nicely across the car. It gives you a full experience of owning a Saab.
Totally!
Yeah, i miss my SAAB too. ;)
It wasn't just exclusive to SAAB, Volvo also had this very same problem with the 200 series. All of them the glovebox door would open after a bump in the road.
...thank the thief who broke into the glovebox to show us everyone the Saab DID....in fact.....install cup colders...by install I mean imprint a circle on the back of the glovebox door...
Haha its the same on Volvo 740-940🤣 they do that to
I'll never forgive GM for what they did to SAAB.
I think my favourite Saab story is when GM took over and sent them an Vauxhall/Opel salon and said "that's your next car, copy that". The Saab engineers then immediately threw away 90% of the car. GM only realised when a top executive drove one and realised that it wasn't a GM infotainment system in the dash.
and they would've gotten away with it to if they had just left the infotainment system in!
@@TheRealSykx I had the car it was based on for 2 weeks. You'd have got rid of that straight away too if you were them.
So sad, GM totally destroyed SAABs ability to make reliable good cars.
@@robals744 they did that themselves. Can't make a good car, if you can't stay profitable.
@@Jessersadler SAAB payed more for each transmission they bought from GM, than you would as a private customer, if you wanted to buy the same transmission as a spare part. There is no way to tell if SAAB was profitable or not.
I grew up in South Jersey and we had saabs everywhere.. I myself had an 02' 9-3 turbo, she was a top speed highway rocket. 0-60 not so good, 60-140 INCREDIBLE!!! I made a ram air type air box and cranked up the boost and rerouted some of those silly vacuum hoses.. O yeah, my little saab moved
im wondering where all those saabs went. I work at a gas station around the shore (due to map redrawing, i guess southern Jersey) and have only seen 1. I swear to god, I've seen more corvettes than saabs.
U knew when u seen a saab of a certain look... you were dealin with a professional animal with style and a true class act 😂 i had a few, i tried a few of every style n flavor before having a style locked down
Thank you for that! We loved our 1997 SAAB 9000 Aero and drove it until the floorboards rusted out. If I remember right, it may have been the fastest production sedan of it's day. It was incredibly solid and safe. It saved our lives when one lovely mid fall morning my wife and I were side swiped by a drunk driver weaving down a 2 lane road beside a river in Wisconsin, striking the left front quarter panel (could have pushed us into the drink- pun not intended). It was a direct hit, but drivable and I was able to give chase and detain the other driver until the police came. LOVE THAT CAR.
i think lotus omega was fastest production sedan back in the days... pretty crazy numbers if you look up... :)
Ooooo I love that model :D!! A perk living in North Sweden is that stuff don't rust XD. So you can come across some old car from ages ago in a barn with NO rust :D. Its awesome
@@SvenskSork how?
Teslas are two a penny, the 99 Turbo was a much rarer beast even in it's day. Saab 99 Turbo or Tesla ? Saab all day long....
Just imagine what more insane and cool stuff SAAB would be coming up with if they were alive today. Shame they went under…
I challenge everybody that "Historians" are gonna speak about Teslas the same way you are speaking about SAAB today. There's lots of evidence in history that, what was once hated (when it was current) later became beloved (when it wasn't current anymore). That's how the mass human psychology works. FYI Jesus was the most hated person in his time but, now it is completely opposite.
Saabs were everywhere back in the day. Your statement couldn't be more wrong. Jason even made that point several times in the video. 🤣
@@erickirshner2810 Right....10,607 Saab 99 Turbos were manufactured from 1977- 82 yet 3.5 million Teslas have been made....all models have sold more than 10,607 apart from the original Roadster. Don't believe me.....check it out for yourself.
@@WileyFox01 Saabs were all very similar in body style and were produced for decades. Did Jason not say they were the Tesla for their time? I grew up in the 70s and 80s, they were everywhere. Just like Teslas. Teslas are ugly and are a pioneer in electric cars. Saabs are ugly and were a pioneer in safety.
I owned a 1987 Saab 900S when I was stationed in Ft Sill, OK. I have very fond memories of that car and have always wanted to find one like it.
My dad worked for Scania trucks, back in the day when it was called Saab-Scania. It was naturally for the workforce within Scania to drive Saabs, so he did as well. The Saab I remember most was his carburated 900 GLS, a lovely spacious grand tourer we went hollidaying withit in Italy and France. I remember me and my little sister sitting in the bagage compartment, when the 900 was doing 190kmh on the Autobahn not exactly safe, but aweinspiring swift for a 12 year boy. When we got to Italy there were another scandinavian family with a Saab 900, this was a Turbo however, and their dad knew he had a higher status, and teased my father about that. My father just laughed and never let it get to him. Later my dad got a crush on BMWs, but thats a totally different story. The SAAB 900 is a big part of my car upbringing in the 80ies, a tank of a car, which were quite soothing.
I believe architects were required to buy a Saab upon getting their first gig.
Doctors too, especially in Scotland and Australia.
As one who worked in architecture and got my Saab then, I approve this comment. But don't forget professors and writers, at least those in Hollywood movies.
True. Having Jerry drive a Saab was the closest George Constanza came to being an architect.
I certainly did!!😂😂😂
it actually was called architect's car!
SAAB really was a wonderful company
Till gm bought them
@@mirkolazar9250 They were wonderful till the very end, I've owned both classics and the very last 9-5. They are Saabs through and through.
The '76 99 gl was my first car in '87, (scored it for $600). At the time thought how awesome it was then and to know almost 35 years later that it really was the best made car I've ever owned, bar none. Jeremy did an amazing eulogy for Saab after it's demise on top gear a few years back featuring a black 900 turbo. Very well done, worth a watch.
It was more than a black 900 which was infact a 99 turbo, they ran through saabs history as a whole right from the 92 to the last 9-5
In 1984 I bought a 1984 Saab 900 Turbo, 5 speed manual, 3 door in Germany. I had it shipped to the US. I drove it every day for 19 years. Loved it.
My daily driver is a 900 from 1992. There's never anything wrong with it. And I've got a 1991 900 convertible for summer use. Works great as well. A late model (old style) 900 is incredibly reliable, if you take good care of it.
I had a '92 9000cd and I still remember it as the favorite of any car I've had. It was so solid and enjoyable to use. 2 BMWs and a Volvo later, I'm still reminiscing about that gorgeous little green tank.
We had a 92 CS that was blazing fast and handled better than any car we ever had . . . electrical glitches abounded toward the end of owning it. Arrest me RED!
Had one, too. 9000 was best car ever.
That drive at the end was tremendously satisfying. The audio quality made me re-listen to that part of the video. LOVE the sound of that gearbox!
The glovebox lid sent me. My best friend growing up had a 900(non turbo) with a permanent patch from the sticky tape used to hold the lid in place.
When no other than Jeremy Clarkson raves about how "fantastic" the 900 is, you know it really is something special.
Well...watch his very lukewarm review of the 9-5 that basically said " not bad, but buy a 5-series BMW instead".
He never said much good about Saab when they were in business so I found his 2011 obituary of Saab a bit hypocritical.
@@notroll1279 In the Tribute To Saab segment he and James both talk about the ups and downs of Saab. When you think of Saab, you think of the 99/900. And Jeremy and James both recalled experiences they had in 80's Saabs. James most notably remembering the cars little details and not the girls name who owned it. They were a company we all over looked. They had a weirdness to them, that only appeals to some buyers. I find their quirks great, but the average consumer isn't going to like that. Its a car you only miss, once it's gone. And that will always be their stigma.
@@brokensmilephoto I watched the segment myself, obviously - and Clarkson's lacklustre one about the Saab 9-5 from the late nineties.
Never did I see anything really positive about a Saab model or the company coming from Clarkson or May while the company was alive.
It was a bit like writing a fond obituary about a former employee you just fired a few weeks ago.
The honest thing for them would have been to say "interesting but never good enough" - or nothing at all.
For 9 years, I've been driving a Saab 9-5 now. Unlike Clarkson, I never felt the urge to race a Sea Harrier fighter jet with it so I hardly ever noticed its slight understeer.
I think that over time, the Saab holds up a lot better than its contemporary BMW, Audi and Mercedes counterparts - and that's what I love it for.
@@notroll1279 I fully understand that. Sometimes TopGear held expectations a little to high for some cars. The Saab was for sure one of the many victims of that. Well, at least Top Gear the TV Show. The magazine reviews tend to be more favorable for the common cars we tend to buy, instead of lust after. Take the Porsche Boxster. Always got a good ribbing on the show, but when you read the magazine review completely different. Sometimes they focused a little too much on being entertaining and personal preference over actual buyers advice. But I suppose that's why we kept watching for so many years.
I love the extra button
It does…something
Yuppies loved this car along with the early Jeep Cherokee Classics. They were everywhere in the northeast corridor of the US.
Vermont, 1973-1990. My mom had a 900 turbo, sister a 740 wagon turbo, father, boxy Jeep Cherokee. Me, 79' CJ5. We were far from yuppies. Parents were hippies actually...
My grandmother drive am early 900 because it was safe in accidents, and swedish, which our family was as well. Also, as stated she was a church going Lutheran, salt of the Earth. What this car allowed her to was drive fast around our country gravel roads. She loved to drive fast, or get there fast, and that little 5 speed fuel injected 4 cylinder get up and got. She was a 2nd generation immigrant, musician and businesswoman, not a yuppie. And what does it have to do with anything? These cars were great. Jeeps are just a different ball game together and they have cult followings. Very small minded and judgemental post is not relevant.
Another reason the SAAB was popular in the NE was because it was FWD, which was better in the heavy snow.
@@TriptoCo 240 was a yuppi wagon too
@@henrik1743 Yup. Lol
My Saab Turbo 5-speed was amazing. Mine lasted 180k miles before the turbo blew up. On the way back from Yosemite, filled with 2 adults 2 kids 2 dogs and 2 bikes on the rack. 2nd gear 40-70 was insanely insanely fast. I had an intimate relationship with my mechanic so it was extremely reliable to the very end. Should have replaced the turbo and kept it.
It's insanely easy to do. Front mount turbo unlike most new cars.
Extreme amounts of comments,...... Our family 900 lasted more than 400.000 miles, beyond which i regretted not having rustproffed it better for salty north sea winds,.....
I rolled my 88 900s going 70mph on the freeway. When I crawled out of the window I was covered in grass and dirt from the median but had zero injuries... Well I had a small cut on my heal 😃. Absolutely rock solid fun Uber safe vehicles.
As a multiple Saab owner and engineer in the auto industry, I think your comparison holds several truths, especially Saab and Tesla predicting the future of the industry. However, this comparison completely falls apart when it comes to their engineering. Where Saab was extremely well thought out, easy to use, easy to drive, and meticulously built, Tesla is the exact opposite. Between Tesla's single center screen user interface in the model 3 and y, universally terrible build quality, and attitude towards consumers, they are nothing alike.
I think the best thing GM could have done is keep Saab around as an unprofitable research and development brand and give them a few billion dollars in ~2005 to develop an electric 9-3 or 9-5. Saab owners are willing to put up with some first generation quirks, and like all Saab technologies GM would be able to capitalize on it en masse 10 years later, like they did with Saab's ~2 liter turbo, coil on plug, electronic boost controlled engines that are now the default gas engine in most cars or the crash protection features Saab implemented in the 70s.
I am excited for GM's (and other automakers) upcoming fleet of EV's that will have a better build quality than any Tesla, but their market entrance could have been several years sooner and their market share greater than Tesla if they let their quirky Swedish stepchild lead the way.
Well said.
GM did have an unprofitable research and development brand: Saturn. In fact, GM’s electric car project, the EV1, was released under the Saturn brand. In Canada, both Saturn and Saab cars were sold in the same dealerships, the “Passport” dealer network, alongside other “international” brands that GM owned or commercialized (Geo, Isuzu, Daewoo).
Saturn was meant to be “a different kind of car from a different kind of company” (their motto), engineered and built in rural Tennessee, far from Detroit, in a plant surrounded by a white picket fence and beautiful scenery that the customers could visit, share ideas, participate to homecoming meetings, etc. In the beginning, Saturn cars were better built, good looking, quirky, and different. The buying experience was also better with non negotiable pricing and friendlier dealer service. Then they became less and less special, sharing platforms and power trains with other GM cars until GM pulled the plug on Saturn, terminating the experiment.
NEVS had the project of building EVs on the 9-3 platform in the old Saab factory in Trollhattan, Sweden. That hit a wall too and the project ended just a couple of weeks ago.
I think Saab cars are terrific. I drive a 2004 9-5 and love it.
@@giorgio. Saturns were great, but aside from the EV 1 which was built to satisfy CARB rules, were they really a R&D brand? I remember they had some odd gauge cluster placements (which did precede Tesla, though they were worse than the standard config imo) and their cars were quite rugged, but what were their innovations?
Everything Saab did with seat belts, crumple zones, airbags, and turbos/direct ignition/engine management GM used 20+ years later to make their mass market cars significantly better.
As a proud Detroit area auto engineer- I think the guys in Sweden had significantly better vision and care for the details 20 years ago than my colleges in the industry at that time. I've heard tons of stories of complacency from engineers, designers, and executives back then. It's much better, though not perfect today.
I also believe Saab's customers would be much more likely to embrace electric vehicles than Saturn owners due to the cost, quirkiness, genuine environmentalism, and status environmentalism.
I completely agree that platform sharing makes sense for all GM vehicles except Saab and Saturn, though platforms are so costly to develop. I could never go from my 06 9-5 Aero wagon to the final 9-5. I'd give a lot to go back to an 04 or 05, but I haven't seen a good one for sale recently.
Spot on
I’ll have to disagree about Teslas being difficult to drive. Having owned gas cars and currently a Model 3, they are significantly easier to use than a gas car. I simply walk up to the car, open the door, get in, step on the brakes, and shift into drive. No need for keys or push start. While driving, I experience less fatigue thanks to one pedal driving and autopilot which makes stop and go driving painless. The touchscreen controls do take some getting used to, and still could be better, but I prefer it overall to traditional setups. It’s responsive and logically laid out for the most part. The comparisons between the Saab and Tesla is legit. I’m tempted to get a Saab as a fun classic car and keep the Tesla as a daily driver.
"The Tesla of its day"... Apart from being incredibly well made and reliable.
As an EX Tesla engineer, I disagree
@@rocketkinger2506 i believe he means tesla's are amazingly engineered but the built quality is bad
Agreed. I saved up and replaced my wife's beloved Honda Insight with a Model S. Kind of expensive car for me. Turned out it was plagued with endless build quality issues. But, I did sell it last spring for very little loss do in that regard it wasn't too bad.
Obviously. If you were employed
@@rocketkinger2506 it’s always good to hear unbiased opinions lol
And they look nicer than alot of today's cars,Saab made incredible vehicles and it's such a shame that they ended up on GM'S desk only to be axed, bring them back!.
Minus anyone involved with GM.
SAAB’s quirky ways were probably as far removed from GM’s economies-of-scale philosophy as you can possibly imagine. This couldn’t work out. But then again, how long can a company keep its technological edge anyway? When SAABs turned into rebadged, more expensive Opels, they sadly became irrelevant.
@@stevieray6216 Well. I own a 2003 9-5, and yes it is based on an Opel, but they are still completely different cars. Saab always did things their own way. Ironically they'd might still be around if they did what they were told and just rebadged som Opels...
Did you ever see the segment on TopGear with Capt Slow?
Turns out initially when GM forced the Opel on them to rebadge. Saab took it all apart and built what passed muster for them. (Reimagined it )
Pissing GM off. 😂
@@Torsee yrp. GM said 'here's your new chassis'. Saab said 'cool, we redesigned the whole thing because it sucked'
My Late Father had a 89 Saab 9000 CD turbo. My old man loved the thing so much that he spent thousands to repair it over the duration of his ownership. I remember sitting in the back seat and him turning off the music just to hear the sounds of the turbo echo through buildings and guardrails. Needless to say, they're great cars. Any time I see a saab now, I see my Father. I miss him a lot.
My first car was a 1982 Saab 900 that I built from two cars and spare parts at my dad's shop. Had 7 total over the years. Great cars and ahead of their time for sure. Dad was one of the first SAAB master technicians in America.
That's cool. I hope you learned lots from your dad. Definitely would be a great skill.
@@123andme absolutely!
The most amazing thing I ever saw on a motorway was a Saab 93 overtaking me, just coming up to heavy traffic, braking from what looked like 150 MPH to 50 MPH in 2 seconds easily in time for the traffic jam up ahead.
Most amazing Saab thing I’ve seen was a young man in a modified 9000 turbo cruising on Interstate 81. Pulled up next to him to give him thumbs up only to see his passenger “pleasuring” the driver. Gave him even more enthusiastic thumbs up and drove away.
@@TermiCobraKid Ha! if it was interstate 91 it very well could have been me.
@@quarrydawg5424 Who was the driver?
@@jonasthemovie Ha! well done.
As a former SAAB owner, and also many euro cars. The SAAB is the only one I wish I never sold.
Same, I had an '89 900 turbo. I would argue their rarity now, you just can't find 3 door hard top anymore. It's easier to find a classic Porsche
It's a testament of the quality of Jason's words that everytime a video shows up, I think to myself "I should get one of those, they are so interesting!".
As an owner of five (and with a history of over 30), I approve this feature.
Wtf you have 5 saabs
Love it. Got 4 myself 👌 and 2 of them are 99
Yup, a red 1975 4dr 99 2.0L automatic, a white 1987 2dr 900 Turbo16 sedan(/notchback), a black 5dr 1988B 9000 CC Turbo, a 2005 9-3 Aero Convertible (Lime Yellow) and a 2009 9-3 2.0T SportCombi XWD Automatic..
@@t1mpetti Nice i thought you were joking but no
Are you that one guy that owns like 19 Saab's and parks them all on one street
Gone too soon 😢
From putting on the engine backwards to getting trashed by the community as bargain bin Subarus, we will never forget the golden years of this Swedish strongholds
slightly nicer Subaru in the 9-2x 😂 I seriously considered finding an aero way back
Hear me out: the best car Saab ever made was the 2005 9-5 Aero wagon.
@@lgunderso2117 that's what I drive. Practical, fun and will outpace most of the cars on the road (mine has tweeks).😎
@@topspoke I absolutely loved my slightly tuned 04 for the 7 years I owned it, but it got tboned and the only other 9-5 Aero wagon I could find with ventilated seats was an 06. I really miss the superior interior of the 04.
My mom has an 05 and it has a few things that are slightly better, like the upgraded ABS module and gas tank door, though I liked the vented rear rotors in the 04.
They're fantastic cars for embarrassing muscle cars while hauling a twin size bed.
The swan song cars were leftover Subarus and Lancias.
They still wanted to re-engineer them, which was pretty neat but they couldn’t afford to.
The reason why they put the handbrake on the front was to use it as a means of being a cheap limited slip diff. When you got in snow and got wheelspin , you pull the handbrake to stop the wheelspin and get traction 👍
I love Saabs but never knew that! Cool
Parking break that for some reason he calls an " E " break for what for an emergency ? Have you ever used it in an emergency not me in any car.
@@Mr.Robert1 It's called emergency brake because if for some reason the regular brakes would fail, you can still use the E-brake to slow down.
@@Mr.Robert1 you are probably a bit young for it is the reason, back in the day with single circuit brakes, if you got a leak in them, you needed a means of stopping alternatively. Dual circuit brakes where just coming in, in the 70's. After that and into the 80's everything had dual circuit brakes, and brake failure became much rarer.
@Stanislav Bakanov Yes. Some modern vehicles today with open differentials will use the brakes for the same reason.
Great video, thanks. It’s a crying shame that SAAB had to close its factory, thanks to the yanks, but I got to enjoy so many over the years, from the 900 right through to a couple of 9-5 Estate cars, with my last 2 being 9-3 convertibles. Still have the latest one. Brought it new in 2006 when I was stationed in Germany and still going strong all these years later, it’s almost show room condition still and the roof has lasted really well too.
Eddie Ed: Like you, I bought my Saab, A 1989 900 Turbo, while stationed in Munich. In 15 mo., I drove it 27,000 mi. When I drove it at Autobahn speeds, I’d get maybe 200 mi. out of a tank of gas, 300 mi. if I eased off the accelerator. When I transferred back to the U.S., I was shocked to learn that, at highway speeds here, I could get 400 mi. out of a tank of gas. In the end, I sold it after 3 yrs. because of the high cost of maintenance and repairs. Plus, I had less disposable income in the states as opposed to Germany. In the end the AC failed; it never cooled the car that well in the first place, but I didn’t notice that as much in Germany with its cooler temperatures. I traded it for a 1993 Toyota Corolla and greatly reduced my car expenses. But having that Saab, especially in Germany, was fun while it lasted.
had to close by GM decision ,they wanted SAAB engeniers to built a new model starting on the vectra chassi ,opel or vauxaul but not taking the quality that vectra as but the second time saab engeniers spent all budget developing a more acurate gps system , it was the last drop ,they (GM) closed the doors and if you know the last models you can notice a incredible decrease in the quality of the car, materials wise, but still made by SAAB
i used to have a 2004 saab 9-5 aero, it was tuned and it brought the so much joy
thank you for bringing light to such a hidden gem of a car manufacturer
Heck yeah tuned 2004 9-5 Aero club! was yours a sedan or wagon?
In 1978 I bought a 1969 Saab 96, and kept it until 1985. It didn't feel like a 'car' it was more like a pet; it was so simple, so smart, friendly. One characteristic I will always remember was older Saab owners (I mean, older cars not older owners) always blinked their headlights whenever crossing paths with another older model Saab. And when I sold it (I was a RISD student then), two students got in a bidding war that drove the indended price up almost 80% (!), so I ended up selling it for more than what I paid for eight years earlier! And in those years I drove it, changed the oil and filters, and the only significant mainetenance I did was to change the break pads, and two front rotors, I mean, besides changing tires and shock absorbers. Nothing else, and I must have put at least 120,000 miles on it. I loved that car!
Yeah imagine if you still had it. SAAB cars is collectibles just as Porsche now. Especially since the car manufacturer is no more, but the plane(SAAB) and truck(Scania) manufacture is still going very strong.
Brake, not break.
@ Grey Jay Really? Are you so neurotic that you nitpick spelling mistakes in comments like this? Then you proceed to correct people? Nothing else better to do with your time? Guess not.
@@greyjay9202 Chill, not everyone is live in a English speaking country
@ Benny Boy it was just a silly spelling mistake while writing in a haste on a cell phone. I probably have a much greater command of the English language than that fraulein complexed schmuck, so preoccupied with nit-picking other people's spelling mistakes. PS -"not everyone is live in an English speaking country". Do you? Doesn't seem like it.
I have 97’ Saab turbo . She runs amazing I’m never giving her up bought her at 99,000 miles 1 year ago.
My friend's dad handed one down to him (the 900 S Turbo). He bought it new and i am SO envious
@@jacklowe74 you’ll find your special one lol I didn’t know it now but there is an entire group of Saab lovers all over the world.
I dont think you bought this car unless you post a video of this car.
Back in the late 1990s, I had a 900 that was built in 1984... It was a superb car, and totally reliable. Underneath, the paint was so good, it was like it was a third it's age. Everything worked and, over the seven years we kept it, it went straight through four of its seven annual MOT inspections needing no work whatsoever. I still get nostalgic about it, it was certainly one of the best cars I've ever had. When we sold it, it had done almost 150,000 miles and was running as well as ever. A great car.
Thank you soo much for this my Dad is an ASE master tech and bought my Mom a Saab 900 turbo convertible like 7 years ago. I showed them this video and it was the first time I ever saw my mom interested in cars! By the end my mom looked to me and my dad (her personal technicians for all her cars) and said omg I had no idea my Saab was so special!!! She may not know what it means to have a chain driven transmission but she now knows just how special her little summer car truly is!
Hagerty truly owned my sub here, producing videos that not only my dad and I and gearheads alike will love, but putting it in a format where my own mother who knows nothing about cars can also grow to love her own vehicle!!
The 1967 SAAB model 96 V4 was my first car, and it was sweet! It was front wheel driven and had a "free wheeling""option you could access. It let you shift gears w/o the clutch, and let the car coast free from transmission drag. You could power up hills and coast (free wheel) down, saving fuel. It handled snowy roads like a boss with its front wheel drive and motor/transmission position up front. A lot of little innovations were also present. My only complaint would be that to replace the clutch, one had to pull the engine/transmission assembly from the car to get to it. This job was listed in Chilton's guide as an 8 hour operation for an average trained mechanic!
I have only owned manual transmissions and they all had freewheel down hills.... it's called not being lazy and taking the car out of gear yourself. I have always done this because - I don't like using the engine as the brakes, and I'd rather wear out brake pads than camshafts, and engines always get hot pulling you up the hill, slipping it in neutral and coasting down the back lets it run at idle speed while lots of air blows over it, cooling it even more. It just makes sense doing it.
@@56squadron Only, on cars with fuel injection it wastes fuel because the fuel supply is actually cut off when coasting in gear. And even on old carburator engines you won't save any mentionable amount of fuel because the throttle is closed all the same and there's only a tiny bit of air coming through the idle bypass.
Also, the water pump runs more slowly in idle, reducing coolant circulation and thus effectively reducing the cooling effect on any water-cooled engine in comparison to coasting in gear.
Finally, recognition! What a great and spot on review of the Saab 99 and 900! Thank you!!! All the things you told are so spot on, and you didn’t even ment Saab SDI; Nope not Star Wars… it was Saab Direct Ignition. A seperate bobine for every cylinder! And much much more technical evolutions.
I bought my first Saab in 1986 (a 99…), and my last in 2000: a black 900 Turbo 16s aero from ‘92, the last real Saab. After GM took over for me it were no real Saab’s anymore….. Just look at that red 900 Turbo in this review; even now in 2021 it still looks stunning!!
The sound effects while riding a bicycle...hysterical! Sooo glad you're back Jason and working your magic :-)
That was excellent. My Dad had a couple of Saabs a bit later on and they were supremely comfortable cars. He had a Saab CD and then a 9000cse.
Both cars were lovely but the 9000CSE was especially opulent.
It had a 2.3 4-pot with a low pressure turbo and was quick without being hair on fire quick but had the best leather interior I'd ever seen at that point.
Amazing luxury car.
Saabs passing was a very sad thing. I hope someone buys it and starts making cars under that name again. It would do well as a Volvo high end brand I think.
My first memory of saab was my friends parents having one of the 2-stroke cars for years. I used to look at it and instinctively know it was a cool car. No-one had one like that.
The guy was engineer for Ferranti and was an excellent engineer.
My Dad was an engineer too so maybe Saabs appeal to Engineering types.
Luv and Peace.
Thanks for this piece; it brings back lots of memories (I owned 4 Saabs, the last of which was an ill-fated GM model - which still lasted 12 years). One of the things I remember now (re: the Tesla of their time) was a concept car they showed in the 90's with solar panels that were used to power an AC unit (IIRC) in the rear fender well, and they talked about using it during hot weather to keep the car cool while you were shopping (, etc.). I don't think there was another car manufacturer, at that time, that was thinking solar. It's a shame they ended the way they did.
My perception may be slightly cynical, but it certainly appears that GM has a bad habit of buying small, unique car companies (SAAB and Holden for example) and syphoning the best bits off and then closing the company. The 1977 SAAB 99 EMS that I bought new was ( in my opinion) a very good Swedish version of a BMW 2002. The SAAB was far more comfortable but I think the BMW handled better, although both were excellent road cars. I owned new examples of both of these cars and still am driving my 8th BMW since 1969, with 205,000+ miles on it. That's an E46, 330xi. That '77 EMS would still be an excellent road car and would still be one of the safest cars on the road... without having any explosive bags in your car.
My mother's family owned several dealerships one of which was a SAAB franchise.
They never really made a profit on the sales side but the repair side was a cash cow.
Engine electrical and transmission problems were rampant.
They kept a few short and long blocks as well as transmissions and turbo assemblies in stock because they usually replaced several a year. When owners praise Saab reliability I just chuckled to myself. Any car can be kept going indefinitely as long as the owner is willing to replace parts and do the repairs. Next time you see a Saab with 200,000 miles on it ask the owner how much they have paid in repair costs and what they've replaced since the end of the warranty and I think even the owner would be shocked.
lol, my saab 900 from 98 just passed 200 000 miles, original turbo, original shocks, original gearbox, original clutch
99 and early 900 yes. Unreliable.
@@roffe84 Late 900. Nothing to do with these.
i have 7 with over 200,000, 3 of them are over 250k... feel free to ask (:
@@roffe84 I believe these cars to be peak saab. As well as the 9000 of the same years.
My favorite automotive company. I had one SAAB and loved it! Sold it to a friend because he needed a good vehicle, and while it is getting old, he still has it and runs great to this day. I have been on the lookout for another but can never find one that is not beat to death or rusting out.
Same here, I am on the hunt for a 1991 SPG in any of the color choices but prefer a Talladega Red which is the one I let go 20 years ago like a dummy. Just one of many many faves I let go🤦🏽♂️😔
Dont believe you did that.
I'm only 44 and loved my 900i from 1986. My first car.
Way way back when I was kid and knew nothing about cars, I loved the Saab 900 turbo just on looks alone and it had a reputation for being fast.
Great review as always Jason C :-)
I once owned a 96 with the 2 stroke triple, and as a mechanic I worked on many 900's, one shop I was at was connected to a Saab specialist, so I did a lot of jobs for them as well.
Oddly the engine was a funny story, it was basically a Triumph Dolomite engine, and though the dolly had problems, the 900's engine was solid. I liked that clutches were easy to replace, the manual was good as well, but the automatic wasn't known for long living. All through the late 70's and through the 80's they were everywhere. Had a few friends who owned them, and they loved the cars. I miss seeing them around now, they were comfortable and great drivers and weren't slow either. Damn shame what GM did to them, I knew when I heard GM got involved, the car was dead.
Awesome to see that these cars are finally getting some 'main stream' appreciation! A base model 900 was my first car (7-8 years ago), and after a couple of years I sold that to be able to get into a 900 Turbo. I guess it's an aquired taste in some ways, but I love them and the way they feel.
*Mentally preparing myself for old-school Saab owners complaining about 900 prices going up quickly in the coming months/years.*
Had a good family friend who drove a Saab. Loved it. Was looking at buying one when they announced they we're closing. I still kinda regret passing on it.
I owned two Saab 900 Turbos. They were two of my favorite cars of all that I have ever owned in the 52 years I have had a driver's license.
No Saab was ever given the moniker "Californian Camry", tho. Saabs were always niche and cool; can we still say the same about Teslas? Are fart apps, bland design, and ubiquity really a recipe for enduring style?
I couldn't agree more. I want to love Teslas, but they're just so... dull.
Yes...the comparison with Tesla was ridiculous.
They have no soul....
I really agree that the comparison with Tesla was a stretch. EV hate aside, they're so bland and sterile
@@nickscapellato8248 See I don't intrinsically hate EV's (although all the current models tend to be a bit bland), but Teslas all just seem to be what happens if you let computer geeks design a car. Technically brilliant, but about as exciting as a household appliance.
I'll make an exception for the Roadster though.
Well researched... delivered with humor and personal insight... this is what automotive journalism should strive to be. Well done.
Don’t insult Saab by comparing it to Tesla
100% this. My thoughts exactly.
Seriously, Tesla is a garbage company inflated by hype and broken promises. It's engineered like crap, the interiors are garbage, and in 10 years Tesla will be bankrupt when everyone realizes that pure EVs and the infrastructure needed is not in place or sustainable.
Saabs we're true engineering masters.
Camissa has a hard on for musk. 🤦
Agree.
Yeah, Saabs are great cars. Tesla's are cr@p.
Dammit, Jason, first you remind me of how much I want a Quattroporte, now you remind me of how much I want a Saab 99 Turbo.
As always, thanks for the stellar content
I had four SAABs, brilliant and comfortable with great handling from the double wishbone suspension. I also had an NSU RO80, that was way ahead of its time.
i had 8 saabs and agree with you, my NSU had a record player in it´s car audio center by the dash, a radio record player
The 900 SPG you had for the video, beautiful. However, the 900 Convertible was really something in its own right, just the best-looking droptop of its time.
I had a white 1989 900 Aero (SPG in the USA) manual. I wish I still had it. I sold it in 2013 because I didn't have enough room for my 2007 9-3 Aero as well.
I have a SAAB 9.3 turbo convertible. It's a 2005 and I bought it in 2017 with 67,000 kms on it, perfect paint, perfect roof... still feel SO lucky. Beautiful, fast responsive car, silver arrow, great cream leather interior with fantastic seats that are amazingly great on the lower back. Not a single mech issue in 5 years. Great to have Swedish jet fighter engineers build you a car!
How nice to hear something intelligent about car history: great job Jason! As always 😉👍🏻
God, I miss my old Saab’s! Best cars I ever owned! Thank you for producing this for us (still loyal) Sabbies!
Such a design icon that I regret never being brave enough to own
Try working on one and then say that
@@wildcat67-b7n not that difficult at all
Unlike a Subaru or a Mercedes
Best car show on UA-cam hand down. WHAT A PRESENTER!!!
One thing's for sure this lil Swede has more character than a Tesla could ever dream of.
Well, compared to other electric cars...
All about context.
Saabs were of their time.
Tesla's are of our (climate change) times.
Both were forward thinking.
I think that what Hagerty was getting at?
@@V8_screw_electric_cars Go whine to your boyfriend.
Except the Saab has something Tesla or any other EV will never have... A soul, character.
But has the BIGGEST similarity. Not being profitable as a company (:
22 years old and I love learning about when cars before my time and see how things that I thought were new really weren’t bc they’ve 100% been done before. Thanks Jason for educating me haha! 👍🏾
Fascinating video well presented; thank you. I had a Saab 99 as my first car. It cost me £500, bought from a chap who was emigrating to Sweden. By the time I had it the headlamp wipers and heated seats no longer worked, and the headlamp washers would soak passing pedestrians. It was expensive to run, and did about 25 or 26 miles to the gallon, but it was a joy to drive, and I once drove it from Kinloch Rannoch in Scotland to Winchester (over 500 miles and 9 hours) in one sitting. By the time I parted with it the car had done more than 300,000 miles.
The second I saw the thumbnail, I instantly KNEW the Saab 900 was always ripe for a Jason video 🙌🙌🙌
My friend had a Saab and when we would drive in it the suspension, smoothness of transmission and the interior were so freaking dope. The green lighting with the long high dash. Dope
Engine sound gave me goosebumps. My dad drove a 99 and a 900 back in the day. Still remember the exact sound the engine made while shifting down, thus revving up, while pulling into the parking lot.
My parents bought a 1986 and 1987 900. We were very impressed with the G forces from the turns. Those Pirelli tires had some serious grip. Minimal body roll. And the car held the road beautifully. A lot less bounce than the one on screen. My mother survived a 60 mph collision in her 86 with a 1 ton pickup that pulled out from a side road while it was trying to cross in front of her. It picked the truck up and threw it across the road. The front of the car accordianed and the engine dropped below the cabin, like it was design to. My mother's chest bent the top of the steering wheel and broke her left pinkie. Other than that, she was perfectly fine. In any other car, she might have been seriously injured or dead. No intrusion into the box, at all. I got to drive my dad's 87 when my car's engine threw a rod. It was such a dream to drive. My parents' only complaint was the reliability of the engine. The way they explained it was, about 3 in 10 of the cars were excellent with no problems. My dad's was one of the 3 out of 10. My mom's was one of the others. But not that bad.
I completely forgot about how nice these were, kinda makes me want one now
me too!
@@jonothandoeser the prices aren't bad
You mean hideously ugly?
@@rodmunch69 Well... YOu're not European... so...
@@jonothandoeser that is correct, people in Europe like ugly things, like women with hairy airpits, who, in fact, are very likely to drive these cars.
Wow Amigo. This was so well done. I’ve been connected to these cars since I was a kid. After I bought my first one, my dad gave me a hard time about it and asked why I loved my 87 900S so much. I couldn’t really say then mom chimed in. Remember our neighbor across the street when you were in elementary school. He had a white Saab and would park diagonally on his front yard. You thought he was the coolest. Jason, you’re the coolest.
Have owned 5 SAABs 3 of the C900 (sedan, SPG & Convertible) 4th a new Sports sedan back in 2003 and currently own a 2001 9-3 aero convertible which is my daily driver, which they were still around. They were definitely a unique brand.
I had two Saabs in the early 1990s, a Red Arrow and a T16S. I have owned many other brands and now own a BMW GT. But when it comes to cars, I only have one love, Saab. I still get goosebumps when I see these images.
“No squeaks or rattles.” Ha! Car was so stiff that every bump in the road was a symphony of rattling interior trim and a test of one’s back. Let’s agree, the 900t had a “sporty” feel and sounded great.
the air inside was creaking...bad...... :O
Not true! It was a very smooth ride with the 99 - and best seats I've ever experienced in any car.
I had the Saab 9000 and I absolutely loved it … It was solid, safe and above all, reliable
Same, almost. I had a 91 9000 Turbo Hatch and to this day it is my favorite car I have ever owned. I differ a bit on the reliable part but i had it at about 115k miles. Recently saw someone daily driving one in Seattle though.....crazy
@5:21 The Saab 99 Turbo might have the coolest wheel design of all time 🤩
When I got married in 1981 I had a 99 Turbo which I absolutely loved. It was quirky and had some interesting features that surprised friends, like the ignition key switch between the front seats which locked the gear lever when the key was withdrawn. The other outstanding feature was the acceleration when that early Garrat supercharger kicked in. Up to that point it was relatively docile but if you floored the accelerator it was as if a Scandinavian giant had picked you up and flung you down the road! We had one funny incident: driving from London with two friends to Val d'Isere for a skiing holiday I took the precaution of buying a new set of snow chains. On the way up to the resort after a heavy snowstorm my friend and I got out to fit the snowchains in the dark and discovered that the instruction sheet was all in Swedish!
I'm a racehorse trainer, and in about 1995, a guy who I trained for, gave me his 1994 Saab as a thank you for finally winning a race with his slowest horse. All I remember was that it was black with saddle interior. It never ran more than a week without something going very wrong with it. I never enjoyed it. The following year I won an ordinary race with a nice woman's pretty but slow filly. She was so happy that she gave me her Porsche. That car was sweet but it rolled into a bay when the parking brake broke. Throughout all of this, my GMC 1500 was my hero. Racehorse owners are weird people.
Your SAAB guy didn't do any of the maintenance on the car, by what you say.
@@caribman10 You're taking sides with a CAR? How f*****ing moronic are you?
Yes my father was one of the few conservatives that drove a two cylinder two-stroke Saab that floated through flood waters because the bottom of the saab was sealed. And that little two-stroke 2 cylinder actually had decent power
Lol... Your dad owed a Saab Kockums
Corbo Jewelers in Wayne?
I bought a 900 Turbo after I got married and had a kid (well actually my wife had the kid:), anyway, one of the most fun to drive/useful/ family friendly/safe/ and still fun to drive cars I ever owned:)
It's okay. People believe men can have babies now. Even Google says so lol.
Takes two to make a kid!
@@reinbeers5322 The lexicon reflects a generational difference between us :)
When my friend lent me his Saab in 1980, he warned me about one thing. He said, "If you leave the ground be sure to keep the wheels straight for the landing."